Last Modified: Jul 4 2014 1:17PM by joelr4
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Founded in 1845 as the Hamilton Agricultural Works as a partnership between Job E. Owens, Clark Lane and Edbridge C. Dyer. This company was both a manufacturer and a reseller of woodworking machinery, especially sawmills. The three titular heads of this company were Job E. Owens, Clark Lane, and Elbridge C. Dyer. They were in business until about 1880. It is mentioned in the Encyclopedia of American Steam Traction Engines that the General Machinery's book states "In 1882 this firm was reorganized by the original George A. Rentschler and his associates, J.C. Hooven, Henry C. Sohn, George H. Helvey and James E. Campbell, and became the Hooven, Owens, Rentschler Company."

Information Sources

Article in 1873 issue of Manufacturer & Builder The article notes that this company had been in business about 30 years, and sells "iron and woodworking machinery of their own make, and are also the sole agents for the sale of a number of products of our leading manufacturers, such as Witherby, Rugg & Richardson, Worcester, Mass.; B. F. Sturtevant, Boston, Mass.; Leffel Turbine Wheel Co., Springfield, Ohio; Richards, London & Kelley, Philadelphia, PA.; H. B. Smith & Co., Smithville, N.J.; Lucius W. Ponds, Worcester, Mass.; Cope & Maxwell, Hamilton, O.; Long & Allstetter, Hamilton, O.; and Nordyke & Morman Flouring Mill Machinery." Their yearly sales at that time were over half a million dollars. Some of the products pictured in the article are clearly labeled as being from "Eclipse Machine Comp., Hamilton, Ohio".

Listed in the 1874 work, Wiley's American iron trade manual of the leading iron industries of the United States: "Eclipse Machine Works. Owens, Lane, Dyer & Co., proprietors. Portable and stationary engines, threshing machines, saw mills, etc. 300 hands employed. The machinery from this works has great celebrity throughout the West, and the product is large."

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